A Foolish Voyage: Self-Discovery at Sea

In A Foolish Voyage, Neil Hawkesford gives us a remarkable tale not just about sailing but about life. Good times and bad. Here we learn what happens at the very limits of physical, emotional, and mental endurance. Here we also learn how personal tragedy can lead to a life-changing discovery, the realization that hidden deep inside all of us is the perseverance and passion needed for achieving life's greatest goals.

Blown Away

At middle age, Herb and Nancy Payson decided they needed a change. Why not give up life on shore, quit their jobs in the smoky nightclubs of Los Angeles, and take up the cruising life? In Sea Foam, their 36-foot ketch, the Paysons and their large brood of teenage children cruised the Pacific for six and a half years. They experienced a certain amount of stark terror, but their delights far outbalanced the drawbacks. This special 35th anniversary edition is enhanced with a foreword by Lin Pardey, plus Herb's reflections on how cruising affected his children and his relationship with his determined, lifelong partner/wife Nancy.

Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival

Obsessed with sailing, Leslie Nack's larger-than-life Norwegian father has a dream to live on a sailboat and show his three daughters the world. And although it takes years, in 1975 he finally completes his preparation and sets his sights on French Polynesia. But when they begin their journey, Leslie, who has just turned 14, faces a disturbing reality: her father, who's crossed boundaries in the past, is not to be trusted...and she's trapped with him on a 45-foot sailboat.

Poop, Booze, and Bikinis

From Poop to Booze to Bikinis, he covers the funnier side of the issues encountered by boaters all of types. With chapters like Signs You Live on a Boat, Stupid People on Rental Equipment, and Zombies Can't Swim, you'll find plenty of laughs. There's even a chapter for Tim Dorsey fans. If you are a liveaboard, cruiser, weekender, wannabe boater, have boating friends, or are just a fan of Ed Robinson's wit, you will enjoy this light hearted romp through many maritime topics.

Cruising in Seraffyn

The cruising tale is full of the sights and sounds, the fragrances and native customs of foreign lands, especially Central American and the Caribbean. It is a story of a leisurely sail through the Gulf of Cortez and on through Panama Canal to the Azores and England. Cruising in Seraffyn is also a carefully thought out guide to living aboard a small boat, with fun and economy as the guiding principles. Four appendices provide data that is vital for anyone comtemplating long-distance cruising.

Bound for Distant Seas begins sailing author James Baldwin's epic tale of his second circumnavigation. His story is seasoned by his adventures during his first circumnavigation in 1984-86 as told in Across Islands and Oceans. Alone with little money aboard Atom, his now-engineless 28-foot sailboat, James embarks on his odyssey without the comforts and equipment most sailors consider essential.

Roger M Robins says:"Cool sailing story"

Publisher's Summary

"We are from Australia, we have cash, and we have jet-lag and a desperate stare in our eye. In short, we are mugs ready to be led down the path of nautical slavery. If you can't sell us a boat, there is something very wrong."

The pull of the ocean was too strong to ignore any longer. Four years prior, they'd circumnavigated the globe on their 33-foot boat, Mariah. Now they wanted a new challenge.

So they sold all their belongings and flew to America from New South Wales in search of a boat.

Then Jackie and Noel set sail south, meeting descendants of the Bounty mutineers on Pitcairn, taking in the grand statues of Easter Island, and finally visiting the remotest inhabited island in the world.

Along the way, they lost a friend and came nail-bitingly close to losing their new boat. But they gained so much more.

This is a story of storms of emotions and oceans, travel, love, and relationships, and two people figuring out life and fulfilling their need to move and be challenged.

Would you consider the audio edition of This Is It to be better than the print version?

Definitely....There are so many anecdotes and distressing experiences interlaced throughout the tale, the print version may have gotten tedious.

What was one of the most memorable moments of This Is It?

The shark and night time storm adventures stand out as most memorable.

What does Caroline Doughty bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Caroline Doughty does a superb job of bringing the story to life through clear and melodic narration. Her reading of "This is it..." instills the right amount of personality into the author’s "1st person” telling of life at sea (which varied dramatically between harrowing and mundane experiences). Would welcome listening to additional books narrated by Ms. Doughty.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not necessarily. It was an impressive journey, however, and I have renewed respect for those who live on a sailboat and travel across the ocean for prolonged periods of time.

Any additional comments?

This was my first audio book, since attempting to listen to Harry Potter in the car on college tours w/my now-26 year old daughter. Listening to this from start to finish inspired me to be more open to audio in the future.

I'm a sucker for sailing adventure stories. Have been since I was 12 and read Robin Lee Graham's circumnavigation memoir.

This story of courage, determination, grit and love, as told by a woman who is beginning to wonder how many voyages she and her husband have left in their lives, is compelling and modern.

Caroline Doughty is the perfect pick to narrate Parry's story. The deep resonance of her voice matches the grounded wisdom of a woman in her 40s, while there's also a melodic lilt that reflects an enduring passion for the world and the delightful people we all get to meet if we would just sail our own little boats out of safe harbor.